Do you think age truly matters?

Rogue planet

Rogue planet

 
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    Is age a very important aspect when judging someone's personality and capabilities? The law says people can only handle certain things once they are a certain age, most noticeably drinking alcohol, driving a vehicle, sex and marriage.

    Do you agree with this ideal? Or do you think that maturity and age are two totally separate things and it's wrong to pass judgement merely because of someone's age?

    In the future if you had children of your own, would you forbid them from doing certain things until they were a certain age, or would you make a decision based on how mature you think they are?
     
    In all honesty, I think there's little to no correlation between age and maturity. I know of people that are in their 40's and act like kids more than someone who's 13. It really depends on how you're brought up and how you handle certain situations, really. Most people just don't have the common sense or maturity to handle life.
     
    age- like time in general- is an illusion we've created to fulfill our natural need for organization, and the stereotypes that come with each person's year are man-made. the traits certain age groups tend to hold offer something for us to consider when making judgments on that basis, but that process is more natural than necessary, i think. i wouldn't call it 'wrong,' but to an extent it can be socially detrimental.

    Vendak said:
    In the future if you had children of your own, would you forbid them from doing certain things until they were a certain age, or would you make a decision based on how mature you think they are?
    Click to expand...

    i don't want to make that call this early in my life xD
     
    Of course there are exceptions, but for the most part age matters, at least to most people. I do know younger friends of mine, around the 15-16 age group that are very mature for their age. Parenting is a big part of it, too.

    In Parenting, I've found that stricter, overbearing parenting really doesn't help and creates unnecessary issues. You can be more hands off of a parent, and they'll turn out just fine. Correct parenting is the key.
     
    I agree with people not driving, drinking and getting married until they're a certain age.
    Becuase thats the law and they made it for a reason.
     
    This reminds me of an Awkward Zombie comic I once read. It showed a bunch of elementary school students (as in 5-10) all going crazy about Pokemon. Then it had a panel for Middle School students, who were all making rude remarks about people who played it. Then it showed high school and college students who were acting just like the elementary school students.

    When most people were 10, they thought that they were more mature than they thought at 14. Hell, just about all of my friends think this. It's a common thing, and age and maturity really only make things more different.

    Age is still just a number, and like grade on a test, it doesn't mean anything until it's applied to a person. My dad is 46 and he's just a kid trapped in a somewhat old man's body.

    Maturity doesn't really exist. For a fleeting moment, you could be the most serious person in the world. Deep inside, you could really just want to eat some of your grandma's chocolate chip cookies and sit on a gigantic comfy couch while watching some dumb show.

    People are just weird.
     
    This is a person by person basis for me. Some people act in accordance with social norms while others in the same age deviate from then. Age does play a factor in things like driving. I am sorry but I don't want kids under sixteen driving they are bad enough when they are sixteen. I wouldn't even want to think how horrible under sixteen year old drivers would be. One the subject of sex, if both parties consent, even if they are under 18 I personally don't have a problem with. As long as they know the consequences of it like HIV/AIDs & Pregnancy and go about it in the right way then good for them. Just make sure you take the proper precautions like contraceptives. Concerning Marriage it really doesn't matter if both spouses feel they can support each other and what not then go for it. Finally Alcohol, a lot of this for me is not matter if you are mature or not it is a matter of your body is not fully developed until a certain age. So if alcohol is habitually consumed at a young age it may have more adverse consequences then say somebody who started at 18-21. As far as responsibility age a slight factor at the most. I have seen older people late 20s-40s be irresponsible with alcohol be it DYI or getting killed in a car crashes. Older people seem just as bad as younger people(although I don't have statical evidence to proof that).
     
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    I don't think age and maturity are directly correlated, however measuring what somebody can and cannot do based on a general consensus is a lot easier to uphold with age restrictions rather than trying to base it off of how mature somebody is. Some things just come with age, trying to drive no matter how mature you are at the age of 10 will be tough, and laws regarding alcohol are only in place for our safety. No matter how mature you are your body is still growing well into your early 20's and alcohol can directly inhibit that. Even when it comes to something like voting.. the government can't really gauge every individual's level of maturity if they see themselves fit to vote. On top of that how do we determine what 'mature' is?

    Society based off of maturity is ideal, but age restrictions are realistic.

    As for my kid, it just depends on the situation. If I know my kid's out acting like a hoodlum vandalizing stuff and blazing erryday, then I'm going to step in and make a lot of choices for him regardless of what he thinks is right and how mature he can be. If I trust him not to do these things or at least in moderation then I'll allow him as much freedom as he needs to ~spread his wings~ and ~learn how to fly~.
     
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    Some people act more mature than their age suggests, and vice versa, so age doesn't really link to maturity. I mean, I'm 16 years old, and I don't act my age all the time.
     
    As much as I know age does not equal maturity, I agree with the laws set in place and I wouldn't want to change them. It's a good rough estimate of the majority.. without it people would go crazy :/ A lot of people are egocentric and think they're a lot more mature than they actually are.
     
    Is age a very important aspect when judging someone's personality and capabilities?
    It's not the most important aspect, but with time certainly comes wisdom.

    Do you agree with this ideal?
    The ideal is logical, but every logic can be proved to be flawed.

    Or do you think that maturity and age are two totally separate things and it's wrong to pass judgement merely because of someone's age?
    Maturity and age are two completely separate things. Maturity isn't a biological reaction that happens when you get older. It's something we have to develop ourselves.

    In the future if you had children of your own, would you forbid them from doing certain things until they were a certain age, or would you make a decision based on how mature you think they are?
    Well I don't plan on having children, but if I were to become a father I would not based my decisions in their upbringing solely based on there age.
     
    I know many young people who have been surprisingly mature for their age. I also know many young people who show their ignorance through their age. It depends, really, on how a person grows up and how early in their life they are faced with "adult" situations. Nevertheless, I believe certian things, no matter how mature one is, should be held off until a later age simply because no matter how mature you may be, the brain isn't fully developed for anyone until the mid 20's. (or maybe even later, I'm not exactly sure).

    I've also known many adults who act surprisingly immature, as well. The way that I see it - age doesn't really give a good measure of maturity. Experience does. It does however, signify passageways to certian rights. I think it's perfectly reasonable that for certian things, you need to be older. Adults work to get certian rights that they earn, and children have other things to worry about such as developing their thoughts and beliefs and maturing into the next generation of adults, until then.
     
    Strange.

    The kids in my age group (13-17) tend to act like complete retards -_-

    I've met a few "mature" teenagers, but that's very rare...

    I don't really see anything relating age and your personality. I believe that its how your raised and such that affect how you act.
     
    I'm going to go by Canada's age laws, not America's...since I am Canadian! :)

    In Canada the age for voting, drinking, buying cigarettes, etc.

    I agree with it for the most part. Is it wrong to have a drink when you're 16? No, but 18 is good enough. In my opinion 21 is too old, kids do things illegally then. 21 is set for a reason, but 18 works here!

    As far as getting a lisence at 16, I think that's fair. It's kinda young...but it's fine. I agree with it. 14 for a Learner's Lisence though...sheesh. I think that's a little much. That's what it is here in Alberta, my province.

    What other things are there...ehhh, lol, that's it I guess!
     
    I prefer to judge by the person. Like many people said before me, I too believe that different people mature at different rates. Heck, I have experienced this phenomenon firsthand. There are some people in my School that act like they are still in Kindergarten. The kicker? I'm a senior and the people around me are about 17 or 18! I have also seen some younger kids out in public that do act like adults though, but I will admit that it is very rare.
     
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    Age matters not. Anyone can be mature or immature. It all depends on how you were raised, and what you have been through. Your personality is also mostly determined on what you've been through. Mentally, emotionally, etc, age has no meaning.

    However, age does matter physically. The reason that they have a drinking age or etc is because a more developed body will handle things better, and the body isn't fully developed until later in life. So, that age restriction is acceptable for thinks like alcohol or tobacco.
     
    I think age can be more general then literal. For example generally you'd think a ten year old would be immature, not very worldly, and possibly annoying to some extent. Literally they could be very mature for their age, know more about the happenings around the world then you, and well mannered enough that you can't find one annoyance.

    You can't then go take that piece of information you have observed and then say well then I should let this other ten year old *do this usual adult activity* because one has proven me wrong. You have to remember that just because one person is like this doesn't mean the same people with those same qualities (in this case being ten years old) are also like that. At the same time that contradicts my first generalization of a ten year old being immature, but likewise that generalization is also important.

    When we generalize I think we're saying we have seen x amount of people with similar qualities doing the same thing. Therefore in our minds we say to ourselves, "I have noticed a consistent happening whenever these people are involved, therefore I will expect that happening again when I see other people like these people."
    Example: I have seen many ten year olds laugh or become embarrassed when a sexual topic is brought up. Therefore the next time a sexual topic is brought up around a ten year old I will expect the same reaction that I saw before.

    While that example may hold true for many ten year olds, it like all things won't hold true for every ten year old I then put in that situation.

    This is where I believe age and laws come together. For example when you turn 18 you are legally an adult. So in general terms one might say now that you are 18 you are an adult and so then you are mature. In actuality that adult could be one of the most immature people around while your friend who is 16 shows much more maturity then that said adult. At the same time you have to have a line somewhere down the road that separates children from adults, for legal reasons mostly. So while it may not be fair I do think it is necessary.

    As for your other question if I ever did have children I would base what they are allowed to do around their maturity and not their age. Which I think I've already explained why. :D
     
    I would say that age has some bearing on a person's maturity (and even more on their physical development) but it would also be unfair to classify people as immature or mature based solely on age... as the number of 20-somethings who still behave like 4th grade bullies on teh interwebz are a testament to. With age it's more of a "life experience" thing... people who are older have lived more years and have had more life experiences. Whether their life experiences contribute to maturity is another matter that can only be handled on a case by case basis (since everyone is different).

    As for the age thing, it's a generalization. Society in general assumes that the age benchmarks hold for the population, which is wrong, but (somehow) it was concluded that they DO hold for the "majority" and so they were established.
     
    There was a thread pertaining to this on another forum.
    I do agree that, in most cases, with age comes maturity, but then there are some very mature 13, 14 year olds, (like a certain moderator of game development), and vice-versa.
    One thing that bothers me is when members take advantage of younger ones simply because they are older than them. A 12 year old's post can have the exact same value, or even more than the post of of a 21 year old.
    I try not to let these things affect my opinions on others, because while maturity is important, age is just a number.
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    Pertaining to irl, I think kids are just living their lives and trying new things, and their judgement isn't great. As the above poster said, adults have had more life experiences and may have a better
    idea of what to do in a certain situation, and are generally, more responsible and a voice of reason in most cases.
     
    I don't think age should matter, although I do often find myself sort of judging by age. It's a bad habit, but a person's age seems to impact the way I act towards them. Maybe just because I thought they were older and it shocks me, then I feel like I need to be a better example or act more maturely myself.
     
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